BULLETIN No.128

The Return of the State in the Middle East Shibley Telhami, The National Interest View Full Article (PDF—77kb).
WSJ The Bleeding Heart of Islam The Middle East inches toward a Reformation. By BRET STEPHENS
Lifting the veil in the Middle East SYLVIA MAIER Women's rights are progressing in many Middle Eastern countries, and numerous small but important victories have been won.

OpenDemocracy Damascus's broken spring Bashar al-Assad's Syria has survived regime defection, internal opposition, US pressure and a UN inquiry. What's his secret, asks Anoushka Marashlian
DEBKAfile Exclusive: New Syria-Iranian defense treaty opens way for Iran`s Revolutionary Guards to deploy on Israel’s Golan border by summer’s end More...
Syria Comment
Former Chancellor Schroeder Puffs Syrian Economy: So Does IMF
Syria Comment in the News: NYTimes - The Nation
Ahmed Abu Adas, Jund al-Sham and Mossad? (by t_desco)
Is the Regime weaker or stronger following the cra...

Ha’aretz – Dahlan: Olmert's unilateral plan will perpetuate violence
Convergence and the Lebanon model
Israel as an Extension of American Empire Tikkun
Yedioth Ahronoth Back to square one/ Alon Ben-Meir
Demographobia
Daily Star Only Palestinians can make Hamas embrace peace By Danielle Pletka
Asia Times You don't need to be apocalyptic, but it helps SPENGLER reviews Standing with Israel by David Brog The importance of evangelical End Time beliefs in shaping US attitudes toward Israel disturbs enlightened world opinion, and this book will inflame these concerns. Still, this work is of great use to both critics and supporters of US policy. Jews and evangelical Christians are on parallel and complementary - although utterly different - paths.
Hamas ponders sacrificing ideological points for political gains

Washington Post The Way Out of Iraq: A Road Map By Mowaffak al-Rubaie,
Der SPIEGEL INTERVIEW WITH JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH II "If there Is a Civil War in Iraq, Everyone Will Pay a Price"
Asia Times Iraq: The beat goes on and onMany argue that the American project in Iraq is doomed. They have their heads in the clouds. The answer to the crucial question of whether President George W Bush's stay-the-course strategy can succeed is: Yes, it can. There is no reason to doubt his assertions that he will do whatever it takes to achieve victory, however long it takes and whatever the cost. - Robert Dreyfuss

New York Times The Race for Iran By FLYNT LEVERETT As the world watches the political maneuvering over restarting nuclear talks with Iran, few are paying attention to a broader strategic competition that has started between the U.S., Russia and China.
Iran's Nuclear Programme and Policy: A ReportInstitute of Peace and Conflict Studies
The limits of 'soft power' in IranIt takes more than just appropriating money to create an effective program to promote democratic change in Iran. For one thing, existing laws, dating back to the hostage crisis of 1979, prohibit direct contacts with groups inside the country. That leaves broadcasting, but any programs must compete with local news and entertainment. - William Fisher